Retailers encouraged by Black Friday shopper traffic results

ShopperTrak traffic data results put Black Friday again at the top spot for brick-and-mortar retail shopping

NEUHAUSEN, Switzerland — November 24, 2018 – ShopperTrak, a Tyco Retail Solutions’ brand, today released preliminary shopper visit data for brick-and-mortar retail stores and shopping centers on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday. Findings indicate that shopper visits resulted in only a combined one percent decline for the two-day period compared to last year, with a 1.7 percent decline in traffic on Black Friday versus 2017. This slight traffic variance is consistent with data results over the last several years.

“The fact that the combined shopper visits remained almost the same this year compared to the last three years proves that the notion of Black Friday not being popular anymore is a myth,” said Brian Field, senior director of global retail consulting for ShopperTrak. “Shopping in physical stores during the holidays continues to be an exciting annual event for consumers and based on the Black Friday traffic data, retailers are in for a successful holiday season.”

Eight of the 10 ShopperTrak predicted busiest shopping days are still to come, including Super Saturday, which will fall on Dec. 22, and the Sunday before Christmas, Dec. 23. Notably, for the third year in a row, there are four Saturdays in December prior to Christmas Day, which will enhance the importance of both Dec. 8 and Dec. 15. In addition, similar to last year, the Saturday after Christmas, Dec. 29, is expected to be one of the busiest shopping days taking the last spot on the top 10 busiest day’s list.

“The holiday season is a rewarding time for retailers and this year will be no different,” said Field. “To ensure success, retailers must have their inventory well-stocked with quality, high-demand products and their staff prepared. Providing an unparalleled customer experience throughout the shopper journey makes the season festive and fun and will bring shoppers back well beyond the holidays,” added Field.

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About Tyco Retail Solutions

Tyco Retail Solutions, part of Johnson Controls, is a leading provider of analytics-based Loss Prevention, Inventory Intelligence and Traffic Insights for the retail industry. Our solutions deliver real-time visibility and predictive analytics to help retailers maximize business outcomes and enhance the customer experience in a digitally-driven shopping world. Our more than 1.5 million data collection devices in the retail marketplace capture 40 billion shopper visits and track and protect billions of items each year. Our retail portfolio features the premier Sensormatic®, ShopperTrak®, and TrueVUE™ brands, as well as a full suite of building technology solutions. For more information, please visit TycoRetailSolutions.com, or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and our YouTube channel.